Motion-picture apparatus



Oct. 14, 1930. L. w. BOWEN MOTION PICTURE APPARATUS Filed Sept. 16, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 lllllllll LESTER W. B

{y 212': aiz'brrzegs oct. 14, 1930.-

L. w. BOWEN MOTION PICTURE APPARATUS INVENTOR ESTER w. BOWEN 14, 1930. 1.. w. BOWEN 7 MOTION PICTURE APPARATUS Sheets/ -Sheet Filed Sept. 16, 1925 K 1 (Admin Q E M l/VVE/VTUR LESTER W. BOWEN Oct. 14, 1930.. Y .-L. w. BOWEN I 1,778,351

MOTiON PICTURE APPARATUS Filed Sept. 16, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 LESTER W. BOWEN y Z53" a/'iorzzeya ill Patented Get. 14, 19313 UNITED STATES PATENT LESTER W. BOWEN, OF HASBROUCK HEIGHTS, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO SPIRO FILM GORPORATION, OF IRVINGTON-ON-HUDSON, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF DELA- WARE MOTION-PICTURE APPARATUS Application filed September 16, 1926. Serial No. 135,892.

My invention relates to motion picture apparatus and more particularly to apparatus wherein the series of pictures is arranged spirally and/or radially on a transparent plate or disc-film, (hereinafter referred to as a film), said film having a rectilinear and an intermittent rotary movement.

One object of my invention is to provide means whereby a series of pictures arranged spirally and/or radially upon a disc-film may be repeatedly projected without attention or adjustment by the operator. A further object of my invention is automatically to return to starting position a film-carrying carriage without stopping the intermittent rotary motion of the film. Other objects will appear upon consideration of this specifica tion.

According to my invention the film is rotatahly mounted upon a carriage, which has a rectilinear movement in a plane at right angles to the machines axis of projection. Intermittent rotary movement is given the film by any convenient means, for instance by a mechanism such as that described in Patent No. 1,254,289 grant-ed January 22, 1918 to F. E. Koella or Patent No. 1,582,032 granted April 27, 1926 to P. S. Gauriat. It is noted that the apparatus disclosed in this latter patent might be used for rotating a disc film.

I also provide a novel repeat motion whereby continued operation of the driving mechanism in one direction not only advances the carriage, but is mane to retir. it to its original position automatically after a complete film has been projected.

It is obvious that my invent-ion may be applied either to a projection machine or. (where the film is changed between one forward motion and the next) to a camera machine. For simplicity of description, however, the embodiment shown and described is a projection machine.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a fron elevation, partly broken away and partly in section, of a motion picture projection machine constructed in ac-- cordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on the line 2-2 t Fig. 1

Fig. 23 is a vertical section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. lis a vertical section, partly broken away, on the line 4:4c of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal detailed section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3 showing the automatic reversing prong;

Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation showing the relation of the parts when the mechanism is being reversed;

Fig. 7 is a view in elevation showing the position of the automatic reversing prong and the parts which control its action when the mechanism is being returned to starting position;

Fig. 8 is a fragmental view in elevation showing the automatic means employed for throwing the reversing prong out of engagement; and

Fig. 9 is a side elevation illustrating how the reversing prong is disengaged at the end of the reversing movement.

In the ei'nbodiment illustrated, a casing 20 has mounted the rear thereof a projecting lantern (lantern not shown) which directs its light through the casing, an d through the film and lens 21 on the front side of the eas- (The film is not shown.) In the path of light projected by the lantern revolves the usual shutter 22.

r carriage 23 is slidably mounted within the casing. and it is upon this carriage that the film is carried and rotated.

The film is rotatably and loosely held against a circular fiat plate Ell which pat :uriagc ny convenient means,

.ichas described 1,11%,621

29 serves to actuate the film ing mechanism. it rotar motion alone were given the film J cthe projection would only trace the path of a circle upon the film. The series of pictures being photographed upon the film in the form of a spiral, it is necessary that rectilinear as well as rotary motion be given the film in order that the projection of light may trace a spiral path upon the rotating film. I 7 V ltectilinear motion is given the carriage (and with it the film) from the shaft 29 which rotates a worm30, mounted upon the shaft. The worm 30 mesheswith a gear wheel 3l, which in turn drives a pinion-32 through a clutch 33, 34. The pinion 32 meshes with a rack 35, which is fixed to the casing 20; Thus by rotating the shaft 29 the pinion 32 is oausedto travel along the rack 35 and, be ing journaled upon the carriage, gives the carriage'rectilinear motion.

The shaft 29 is driven through slidable connection with a driving sleeve 36, which may be operated by a motor (not shown) through a bevel gear 37. The SlGCVu 36 may be op-er ated by a hand crank as well. 7

I also provide means for causing t io continued rotation of the shaft 29 to reverse the travel of the carriage 23. This means consists of aspiral thread 38 upon the shaft 29, to the left of the worm 30 when viewed as in Fig. 1, a prong 39 slidable vertically in the casing and adapted automatically to engage the spiral thread, and means for disconnecting the pinion 32 from'the train of "ears giving it forward motion. The pitch orthe spiral thread is adapted to give the carriage a return movement upon engagement with the prong. V

The prong 39 is carried by a lever 40 which is pivoted at one end to the casing by a screw 41, and is stressed bya spring 42, whi h tends to pull the prong into engagement with the helical thread 38. The spring 42is connected to the free end of a lever 40 through a pin 43 and at its other end to the casing. The prong is normally held down out of engag ment with the helical tooth '38. by a leaf spring 44 which bears on top of the lever 40. An adjustable pin 45 is carried by the carriage, in such position that its end will contact with the leaf spring as the carriage reaches the end of its forward travel. At such a moment the leaf spring is pushed out of contact with the lever 40 and the prong 39 is snapped into engag ment with the heli cal tooth 38. v r p Slidable connection between the shaft 29 and the sleeve 36 permits the recession of the shaft within the sleeve when forward motion is given the carriage and the withdrawal of the shaft from thesleeve as the prong and the helical tooth interact. Thus the carriage is returned to starting position after it has completed its forward travel.

lever-40 to normal position (and with them the pate 46 and the angle piece 47) at the lemon of the reverse motion of the carriage, I provide, near tne end of the shaft 29 which engages with the sleeve 36, a cam 57.

the shaft rotates with the carriage substantially in starting position, the cam 57 de presses the prong 39 and with it the lever 40 until the le spring 44 snaps into position on top of the lever. Thus the prong is held down out of engagement with the helical of the angle piece is bent in a horizontal right angle inn dly of the casing and the extreme end is agm. bent slightly downward. The purpose of the slidable plate 46 and the angle piece 47 will be explained presently.

It would be impossible to move the carriage in reverse direction unless the pinion wheel were thrown out of engagement with the gear wheel 31, which revolves continuously with the shaft 29. l-therefore provide means adapted to disconnect thelast member of the train of gears which, drives the carriage in a forward direction. This means will now be described. 7 7

There is a spring 48 acting through the upper member 34 of the clutch 33, 34 tending to withdraw the lower membe' 33 from the upper member 34. Thisraction is resisted, and the members of the clutch are held together by the action of a bell-crank lever 49, the upper arm of which bears against a projecting lower axle extension of the pinion wheel 32, under the'stress of a tension spring 50 stretched between the end of the lower arm of the bell crank lever andthe carriage. T he strength of the spring 50 is sufiicicnt to overcome the action of the spring 48 and when no other forces'are applied will hold the parts 33 and 34 together. 'Mounted on the same shaft as the bell-crank lever 49 is a second lever 51. which has a recess 52 whose shoulders loosely engage a longitudinal rib on one arm of the boll-crank lever. At the end of the second lever 51 remote from the recess 52 and projecting horizontally at right a es to the lever is a pin 53 whose function will be explained presently.

Attached tothe casing beneath the rack 35 andextending horizontally is a strip 54, preferably of metal, which is longitudinally adjustable bymeans of a. screw 55. This screw 55 adjusts th length of travel of the r j carriage, as will be shown when the opera- In order to return the prong 39 and the.

tion of the apparatus is described. I Fastened to the strip 54 and extending horizontally is a small angle iron 56 in a position just above the slightly inclined end of the angle piece 47.

The pin 53 projects beneath this angle iron 56 when the carriage is moving forward, and the angle iron acts as a track for the pin 53 when the carriage is coming back.

As it is necessary to revolve title shart, with the prong and helical thread in engagement until contact with the cam 57 automatically ends the reversing action, and as the distance which the carriage travels on the return lllOVlGIlll may he limited by the screw 55, I provide means for perr icting the carriage to halt before the cam 57 has reached the prong This means may take the term, here illustrated, of a hollow shaft and solid shat slidahle there n. As shown, a groove and pin connection 58 {see 6) causes the two parts of the shaft to revolve together, while being longitudinally extensible and retractable. A spring keeps them extended as far as the rigid parts of the machine will permit.

The operation of the forward and reverse motion is as follows:

The machine being in starting position as shown in Fig. 1, the sle ve 3-3 is rotated (by motor or by hand) in a ClOCliWlSG direction when viewed from the left. in consequence the shaft 29, also revolves in a clockwise direction actuating the shutter by means of the gear wheel 27 and a train of gears operab'ly associated therewith, and also actuating the rotating mechanism by means 01 the gear and its connections. The worm wheel 31 turned at the same time, causing the .ar wheel 31 to revolve. The clutch elements 33 and 3st be'ng in engagement with the pinion wh-eel e action of the pinion wheel 32 with the s 1 nary rack moves tae car-- riacge 23 to the left as viewed in Fig. l, the shaft slidingto the left within the sleeve 36. I

During this forwa rd motion the bell-crank lever -19 bears upward upon the under side of the pinion wheel, 32, keeping the (hitch elements 33. 3 5: constantly in co. ct. At the same time the pin 53 at the end of the lever 51 passes beneath the projecting flange of the angle iron 56. As the carriage reaches the wall of the casing 29. which is shown at the leftin Fig. 1, two things occur: The pin 53 rides up upon the extreme end of the angle piece {t7 wiiich is bent sligl y downwind, and slides alongthe horizohtal an: cc of th lower end. At the same time the adjustable pin comes in contact with the spring l l and pushes it from its restraining position on top of the lever e0. As a result ot this action the spring raises lever and with it the prong 39, which comes into cooperating connection with the helical thread 38. At the same time the spring 42 raises the plate it vertically. The angle piece l? being attached to the plate 'lGdS simultaneously raised and with it the pin 53 and the end of the lever '51.

As the end of the lever 51 s raised a shoulder of the recess 52 bears upon the longitudinal rib of the bell-crank lever 49, turning the bell-crank lever against the operation of the spring and away from the pinion wheel 32. The spring 48 thereupon separates the clutch elements 33, 3% and the pinion wheel 32 is permitted to idle. The carriage 23 is thus in condition to he moved rearwardly by the interaction of the prong 39 and helical thread 38.

The helical thread 38, now being in en agement with the prong 39 proceeds to bear against it in a direction to the left as viewed in Fig. 1 and, as will be readily seen this action is continued as long as the short revolves in a clockwise direction as viewed from the leftand the prong and helical thread continue in operative association.

T he rotary movement of the film continues during the reverse motion.

When the pin 53 reaches the end of the angular piece 56 it drops back to its former position because of the action of the spring 5'0 upon the bell-crank lever 49, and the bell crank lever 49 thereupon bears against the lmver end of the pinion wheel causing the clutch elements to engage and the rearward motion of the carriage 23 to he halted.

The shaft 29 continues to rotate with the helical thread 33 bearing against the prong 39, the play of the shaft being taken up by a sliding of the pin and groove connection 58 (see Fig. 6) and being resisted by the spring 59. This action continues for a very short time while the shaft 29 slides out of the sleeve 36 until the cam 57 acts upon the prong 39. The action of the cam 57 depresses the prong 39, and with it the lever 4:0, until a position is assumed wherein the leaf spring t? may snap back into its restraining position on top the le 'er lO. The shaft continues to revolve and the cam 57 passes clear of the prong 39, whereupon the spring 59 snaps the shaft hack into its original position.

When the cam 57 depresses the prong 39 and the lever 40, the pin l3 is of course also depressed against the action of the spring 42. With the pin 43 is moved the plate 4:6 and the angle piece i7, both being returned to their original positions.

The carriage has now gone through a complete cycle and is in a position to repeat the movement.

It will be noted that the strip 54: is slidably mounted upon the casing and the screw 55 is designed to move the strip either to the. right or to the left as viewed in Fi g. 1. The angle iron 56 being rigid with the strip 54 is of necessity moved with it. By turning the screw the position of the angle iron 56 is therefore determined and the position of the angle iron determines the point at which the pin 53 drops and the clutch 33, 3st is in consequence engaged, halting the rearward action of the carriage23. It thus seen that by means of the screw the length of travel of the carriage may be regulated.

The reverse motion must take place in one or more completed revolutions of the film, and v is designed to have completed the operation when the'initial title is brought before the projecting lantern. There being twelve complete turns in the spiral on the film the rate of reverse linear speed to forward linear, speed is 12 to 1. This action causes the pictures to appear on the-screenin processional form during the reverse motion;

The apparatus is also designed to bereturnedby hand and for this purpose two handles and 61 are provided. 'Ihe handle 60,

when stressed in a direction toward the hanrotatablysupporting a disc-film, a driving sleeve journaled within said'casing and a spirally threaded shaft having slidable connection with said driving sleeve adapted to coact with a train of gears to transmit rotary motion to the disc-film and adapted to coact with a second train of gears coacting with a rack on said casing to transmit rectilinear motion to said carriage, incombination with a prong associated wlth the casing and engageable with said shaft for reversing the rectilinear motion of the carriage without reversing the direction of rotation of the shaft.

2. In a motion picture apparatus, a rigid frame, a carriage slidable upon said frame for carrying a disc-film, a train of gears mounted on said carriage and driven by ashaft, and. a rack rigid with said frame with which a member of said train of gears engage combination with a clutch, a spring strained lever holding the members of said clutch in engagement, a track onto which an end of said lever mayslide holding the clutch members disengaged, and an angle piece adapted to lift saidlever end to the level of said track when forward motion of the can riage has been completed. 7

- 3. In a motion picture apparatus. a rigid I frame, a carriage slidable upon said rame for carrying a disc-filn1, a driving sleeve ournaled upon said frame. rotatable spirally threaded shaft having slidable connection with said driving sleeve adapted to transmit rectilinear motion to said carriage, and a prong associated with the casing andengagecombination with a train of gears mounted onv said carriage and driven by said shaft, a'rack rigid with said frame with which a member of said train of gears engages, a clutch, a spring-restrained lever, and a track onto which said lever may slide,said clutch, lever and track being adapted to hold'in disconnected relation the last member of said train of gears from the others when the carriage motion is reversed.

l. In a motion picture apparatus,a rigid frame, a shaft associated withsaid frame, a carriage slidable upon said frame for car rylng a (llSC-lllHl, a train of gears mounted on. said carriage and driven by said shaft,

and a rack rigid with said frame with which a member of saidtrain of gears ei 1 rages,-in

combination with a clutch, a spring-restrained lever, and a track onto which said lever may slide, the lever being adapted to engage said clutch when it falls off said track.

and the length of said .tracl: being adapted to 7 drop the lever oif the tracks end when start-j lng position has beenreached bythe carriage,

substantially as described.

7 5. In a motion picture apparatus, .a casing, a carriage for rotatably mounting a discfilm, a shaft associated with said casing transmitting rectilinear motion to said carriage, a spiral thread upon said shaft, and a prong;

bination with means for automatically locic ing-said prong out of engagement with the spiral thread, means for releasing said locking means, and means upon said shaft for automatically throwing the prong out of engagement with the spiral thread.

6. In a motion picture apparatus, a casing, a carriage for rotatablysupporting a disc-film, means adapted to impart rotary motion to said disc film, and a shaft constrained for rotary slidably mounted upon-said casing adapted to engage with the spiral thread togive the carriage reverse rectilinear motion, in comlliU llU

said helical tooth for reversiug'the rectilinear motion of said carriage without reversing the directionof rotation of said shaft. a

7. In a motion picture apparatus, a casing, a carriage 'inounted within'said casing for rotatably supporting a disc film, a driving sleeve ournalled within said casing, a shaft having slidable connection with said driving sleeve, a train of gears'driven by said shaft. and a rack for imparting forward rectilinear motion to said carriage, in combination with a helical tooth upon said shaft, means upon said casing adapted to 009.01. with said helical tooth for reversing the rectilinear motion of said carriage Without reversing the direction of rotation of said shaft, and means for disconnecting said train of gears when said reversing means coaots with said helical tooth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

LESTER W. BOXVEN. 

